prairiegirl Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 Took the words right out of my mouth! I didn't even have kids when I turned 30. And now I have nieces and nephews at or nearing 30!! It's a good decade, and I'm finding each subsequent decade to be equally interesting and full of new and interesting experiences. But yes, Happy Birthday, Nose in a Book!! And share your review of Into the Woods when you get a chance! Meh to Wuthering Heights. Not a fan. But I did enjoy Villette and Jane Eyre. I especially loved Anne Bronte's work, which truly is the work of a feminist writer, as in a writer whose work deals frankly with the oppressive, powerless lives women had in the 19th century.. The Tennant of Wildfell Hall is stunning as is Agnes Grey, though it isn't quite as stark and brutal, and has a hopeful quality to it. I'd like to try some Murakami next year, though at the moment I'm happily in fluff mode. Can't see turning the fluff switch to "off" come Thursday. If you are going to tackle Jane Austen, may I recommend Bitch in a Bonnet for a companion read? And a good audio recording? It isn't fluff. It is brilliant satire filled with characters we all come across in daily life. And yes there are happy endings, but those endings are often glossed over without any sappy Hallmark sentimentality. Just came back from seeing the final installment in The Hobbit trilogy with my college boy. I'm guessing none of you have gone? I don't remember any Tolkein fans here, just women patient with their husbands and sons who love the books. We thought this one was the better of the 3, though still saddled with the same tacked-on plot lines and characters. The added sub-plot which my son and I dubbed "Moby Dick" lived up to its monicker, for better or worse, with a watery end to the sub-plot much like that of Ahab and the whale. I need to pull my tattered old paperback off the shelf now to remind myself of the actual details in the plot, and to appreciate those bits of the original which were nicely handled in the movie. Hmmm, it looks like the multi-quote thingy isn't working. Anyway, my oldest saw The Hobbit before Christmas and she said that she thought it was the best of the 3, too. We are going as a family to see it on Sunday. I am not a bit Tolkien fan but I like going to see the movies with my family. Next Jan. is going to seem a bit odd with not having a Hobbit movie to see. I am a Wuthering Heights fan but I tend to like the dreary, depressing books. I wonder what that says about me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onceuponatime Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 I am a Wuthering Heights fan but I tend to like the dreary, depressing books. I wonder what that says about me. I used to love all the dreary depressing gothic type books but something in me changed over the last five years and I no longer find them satisfying. I don't know why. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 Ya'll have sent me on one rabbit trail after another today (or maybe it's just short attention span syndrome). :) Loving the plans for reads longs. Kafka on the Shore didn't strike my fancy but Hard Boiled Wonderland did so will join in on a Murakami read for January. What's happening in April? c.s. Lewis silent planet series or Austen or Bronte read? I'm pretty sure I read Out of a Silent Planet but that was back in the 80's so up for reading again. Will have to go check my boxes and see if I still have them. up for whichever is decided since have all n the shelves. Tress, you've reminded me I have #4 and #5 in Wheel of Time series yet to read so moving those up in my stacks for 2015. Divine Office for Dodo's - love that title. I have Merton's Book of Hours but may have to check out Dodo. Rereads - despite all the books on my shelves yet to be read, I enjoy rereading some stories and July and August the past two years have been reread months for me. Shukriyya - how about 3/5/15 which is 3 books in 5 categories which equals 15. Now I like that idea. Hey I may have come up with a whole new challenge with a play on the year since we are in double digits. The first two numbers multiplied equals the year. By George! I am happy to do Out of a Silent Planet anytime but February and March so April is good for me. Bronte and Austen are fine for whenever because on my kindle. Hope this works with your schedule Robin. Once again Thank You for all the hard work you do running Book a Week. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 A rather eclectic list of The 14 Best Books of 2014 Overall...From the origin of the universe to the unusual stories behind people’s tattoos, by way of secular spirituality, the hummingbird effect, and Werner Herzog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 Multi-quote function isn't working so... Jane, a number of years ago I discovered that tilapia, which was all the rage fish-wise, was an entirely farmed fish, there were no wild tilapia to be had anywhere! I found this astonishing. For some visceral and slightly out-of-reach-to-me logical reason I decided then and there not to eat tilapia anymore. I also learned that sturgeon is one of the oldest fish on the planet dating back 200 million years! Now that's some traditional food ;) All in all I'm not keen on farmed fish, even if it's farmed here. Apparently tilapia is all the rage because it does not taste like fish. Shrug. Actually I am in favor of certain forms of aquaculture--oysters, mussels, for example. Not sure if that is what you mean by fish farming though. Some prefer farmed salmon over Sockeye since it too is less fishy, something I don't quite understand. The species of sturgeon near us is an endangered species and hence carefully monitored. I love cavier (sturgeon roe)--fish roe in general--but feel that we all need to limit our consumption of roe for sustainability reasons. This coastal gal probably eats all sorts of things from the sea that my inland friends are unfamiliar with. The push is on here at the coast to steer consumers away from traditional favorites to fish with larger populations. Or to use all the parts, i.e. make stock from shrimp heads and shells as oppose to just tossing them. As they say around here, "Friends don't let friends eat foreign shrimp." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nan in Mass Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 So why do you guys like dreary, depressing books? Why would you want to go live in that world? I can understand needing to know what is going on in the world (or history), but I don't understand this for pleasure reading. Could you explain? Just curious : ) Nan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 Apparently tilapia is all the rage because it does not taste like fish. Shrug. Actually I am in favor of certain forms of aquaculture--oysters, mussels, for example. Not sure if that is what you mean by fish farming though. Some prefer farmed salmon over Sockeye since it too is less fishy, something I don't quite understand. The species of sturgeon near us is an endangered species and hence carefully monitored. I love cavier (sturgeon roe)--fish roe in general--but feel that we all need to limit our consumption of roe for sustainability reasons. This coastal gal probably eats all sorts of things from the sea that my inland friends are unfamiliar with. The push is on here at the coast to steer consumers away from traditional favorites to fish with larger populations. Or to use all the parts, i.e. make stock from shrimp heads and shells as oppose to just tossing them. As they say around here, "Friends don't let friends eat foreign shrimp." I guess that's why tilapia was/is so popular. I remember abundant cod and haddock as a child and now it is very hard to find. Cod has been completely overfished for years but appears to be slowly recovering. Haddock suffered the same fate but is now no longer listed as overfished. Both are favorites here. Of course we can't talk about fish and fish farming without mentioning the wonderful movie Salmon Fishing in the Yemen can we? ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nan in Mass Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 Uff da - Farenheit or centigrade? Jenn - Is that a pen name? Chevalier writing something called The Lady and the Unicorn? : ) Nan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted December 30, 2014 Author Share Posted December 30, 2014 I am happy to do Out of a Silent Planet anytime but February and March so April is good for me. Bronte and Austen are fine for whenever because on my kindle. Hope this works with your schedule Robin. Once again Thank You for all the hard work you do running Book a Week. :grouphug: Author Flavor of the Month January: Haruki Murakami February: Jane Austen March: Charlotte Bronte April: C.S. Lewis Keep em coming, gals and we'll fill in the rest of the months with an author flavor of the month. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 So why do you guys like dreary, depressing books? Why would you want to go live in that world? I can understand needing to know what is going on in the world (or history), but I don't understand this for pleasure reading. Could you explain? Just curious : ) Nan Like or find them necessary? As I have commented before, I read Eastern/Middle European authors who often write depressing books in order to keep vigil. I do not want history to repeat itself so someone must remember. I choose to do so. Life is bittersweet, is it not? We celebrate the joys, but many of the joys are made more precious because of the pain (think childbirth). I do not deny sorrow. It is part of the fabric of life. But I despise self pity and self absorption. Those sorts of dreary books won't make it on my lists. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted December 30, 2014 Author Share Posted December 30, 2014 So why do you guys like dreary, depressing books? Why would you want to go live in that world? I can understand needing to know what is going on in the world (or history), but I don't understand this for pleasure reading. Could you explain? Just curious : ) Nan I can only speak for myself and say it really depends on my mood. I tend to steer away from the those books and will read one here and there. Otherwise, give me paranormal, fluffy, adventurous, or spine tingling thrillers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nan in Mass Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 Shukriyya - Nice batch of books! I just spent all my supper reading it, and sniffled over the story at the end. -Nan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennW in SoCal Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 Dreary and depressing books -- it depends. Sometimes they are peopled with annoying characters who deserve a quick slap in the face and a "oh get over yourself already!" There is a line Sally says to Harry in the movie "When Harry met Sally" that I love, something along the lines of, "Thinking about death doesn't mean you're deep." Morose and depressing books are not necessarily good just because they are not happy. Nor are happy books just fluff. Poetry and great music are the better expression of true existential pain, or so it seems to me. Beethoven does it best. Fishy fish? blech. I grew up land locked in the desert SW and the only fish I knew of was the much hated fish sticks and the occasional fresh trout, and didn't try any real seafood til my college years. I do love Ahi -- raw tuna -- with plenty of wasabi! I mostly know the fish I like by their Hawaiian names -- the over-fished Opakapaka and still widely available Onaga -- two types of snapper. But you're telling me I now need to figure out what the source of my fish is, too? It is so much work shopping!! Nan -- the author is indeed Tracy Chevalier who has written other books I've enjoyed -- Remarkable Creatures about Mary Anning (the she who sold sea shells), The Girl with the Pearl Earring. Based on the random "answers to questions no one ever asks me" I think she could be a great addition to our BaW group! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nan in Mass Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 Jane - I meant "enjoy", not so much as "find useful to read". A member of my clan recently explained why she liked the movie It's A Wonderful Life and I didn't. She said that she loved a good cry and suspected I didn't. (She certainly is right about that. I guess I can see why you might like that horrible movie if you liked to cry lol.) I was just wondering if there was a similar reason for enjoying the depressing books. Nan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 Dreary and depressing books -- it depends. Sometimes they are peopled with annoying characters who deserve a quick slap in the face and a "oh get over yourself already!" There is a line Sally says to Harry in the movie "When Harry met Sally" that I love, something along the lines of, "Thinking about death doesn't mean you're deep." Morose and depressing books are not necessarily good just because they are not happy. Nor are happy books just fluff. Poetry and great music are the better expression of true existential pain, or so it seems to me. Beethoven does it best. Fishy fish? blech. I grew up land locked in the desert SW and the only fish I knew of was the much hated fish sticks and the occasional fresh trout, and didn't try any real seafood til my college years. I do love Ahi -- raw tuna -- with plenty of wasabi! I mostly know the fish I like by their Hawaiian names -- the over-fished Opakapaka and still widely available Onaga -- two types of snapper. But you're telling me I now need to figure out what the source of my fish is, too? It is so much work shopping!! Nan -- the author is indeed Tracy Chevalier who has written other books I've enjoyed -- Remarkable Creatures about Mary Anning (the she who sold sea shells), The Girl with the Pearl Earring. Based on the random "answers to questions no one ever asks me" I think she could be a great addition to our BaW group! Just to clarify--fishy fish are often old. Oily fish are often considered too fishy by some. Take the humble blue fish which is considered trash in the Carolinas but a summer treat in the Northeast. It is an oily fish that is not delicate hence less preferable to the Southern palate than say flounder. But we love Blues. We have discussed series in the past and I think this may enter into our discussion of dreary and depressing vs. happy books. One of the complaints that I have with the Elizabeth George Inspector Lynley series is the annoying Deborah St. James. But I tolerated her until the series itself became so dark that the novels plots were completely washed over by misery and brooding. I quit the series several books ago and don't know if I shall ever return. Lynley is not the only detective series in which the detective's spouse is brutally murdered. I'm ready for this plot device to go. Really. Bring back Nick and Nora Charles or Peter and Harriet Wimsey. The murdered spouse device falls into the case Jenn mentioned: death is not adding necessarily adding to the depth of the novel--just leading to a bunch more sequels. Among my favorite books are Olivia Manning's sweeping saga The Fortunes of War, set in the Balkans and the Levant during WWII. War is not the point here but the stage that moves certain elements of the plot along. This I can handle. But I don't care for books that dwell on violence for the sake of violence. I skip those movies too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 Jane - I meant "enjoy", not so much as "find useful to read". A member of my clan recently explained why she liked the movie It's A Wonderful Life and I didn't. She said that she loved a good cry and suspected I didn't. (She certainly is right about that. I guess I can see why you might like that horrible movie if you liked to cry lol.) I was just wondering if there was a similar reason for enjoying the depressing books. Nan Nan, I suspect that your clan member finds the resolution of It's a Wonderful Life to be uplifting. And perhaps that is often the case with certain novels in which characters rise above circumstances. Somehow this reminds me of my son's comment on Oliver Twist when he was about halfway through reading the novel as an 8th grader: "Doesn't this kid ever learn?" Some people enjoy the struggle or enjoy cheering on Our Hero during the struggle. (Although I too want to throw the wordy Dickens at the wall, feeling that Masterpiece dramatizations of the novels are far better than reading them.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted December 31, 2014 Author Share Posted December 31, 2014 Yikes! Yowzers! Yam bam boozled! How is it possible that with all the books I read, not one had a Y word in the title or author name. Scrambled to find a short book to fulfill my A to Z challenge and came across many long long long ones that intrigued and interested me, but alas. Rebecca York has some sizzlin sexy studly sassy romances. Guess I'll have to settle. Jenn - are we adding Tracy Chevelier to our flavor of the month club? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Crown Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 Re: Dark literature. I enjoy a well-written book whether the plot and subject matter are dark or light. I don't get caught up into fiction, so death and misery don't cause negative emotions in me; though writing that attempts to be emotionally manipulative does cause in me the negative emotion of annoyance. (Real horrors are difficult for me to read, though; it was all I could do to get through Solzhenitsyn's first volume of The Gulag Archipelago.) Re: Fish. Fresh catfish from the US of A for me. Environmentally friendly, inexpensive, tastily fried in beer batter, and pretty darn clean for a bottom feeder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MicheleinMN Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 So why do you guys like dreary, depressing books? Why would you want to go live in that world? I can understand needing to know what is going on in the world (or history), but I don't understand this for pleasure reading. Could you explain? Just curious : ) Nan Sometimes I need a good cry. Sometimes I need to feel that my life isn't as messed up as it could be. Sometimes I want to live through someone else's angst, so I can avoid it in my real life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onceuponatime Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 Dreary and depressing: I loved Oliver Twist. From the time I hit puberty, I found it a relief to transfer my strong emotions to fictional worlds than to experience them in the real world. Not that I had a horrible life, but I did have a tendency to be too inward looking, fearful, and self critical. (See avatar description)I did liove a good cry. Some of my favorites were written by Daphne D'Maurier. They were downright gloomy. I don't know if it's related, but I also had a penchant for survival stories where a person alone battles against nature. Over the years, that changed. I traded in most of my gothic novels for landmark history books for my kids. I read some of my favorites over many times but they no longer affected me the way they used to. It was about 5 years ago when I realized I was no longer interested in that kind of book at all, and in fact, idid feel like slapping some of the characters. It's too bad that I waited so long to read Anna Karenina. I probably would have enjoyed it more when I was young. I too used to love It's a Wonderful Life. Now I can't watch it because I get so mad at Mr. Potter that it ruins the whole movie, lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 Just after 4pm on New Years Eve and I've finished HoAW!1. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott (read aloud) 2. Good Wives by Louisa May Alcott (read aloud) 3. The Rosie Project, Graeme Simsion (fun read) 4. Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, Kate Douglas Wiggin (audio) 5. Chronicles of Rebecca, Kate Douglas Wiggin (audio) 6. Beyond Religion: Ethics for a Whole World, Dalai Lama (disappointing) 7. Theatre Shoes, Noel Streatfeld 8. Ballet Shoes, Noel Streatfeld 9. Dancing Shoes, Noel Streatfeld 10. Little Men, Louisa May Alcott (read aloud) 11. Jo's Boys, Louisa May Alcott (read aloud) 12. Treasure Island, (audio) 13. Long Walk to Freedom, Nelson Mandela 14. Islamic Dietary Laws and Practices, Hussaini and Sakr 15. Halal & Haram: The Prohibited & Permitted Foods & Drinks According to the Jewish, Christian & Muslim Scriptures, Muhammad Umar Chand 16. The Sowers, Henry Seton Merriman 17. The Red Fairy Book, Andrew Lang (read aloud) 18. Tales of Ancient Egypt, Roger Lancelyn Green (read aloud) 19. Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, T.S Eliot (read aloud) 20. The Many Conditions of Love, Farahad Zama 21. Maskerade, Terry Pratchett 22. Equal Rites, Terry Pratchett 23. Wyrd Sisters, Terry Pratchett 24. Letters from a Cat (audio) 25. The Sun's Babies (audio) 26. The Wonderful Garden (audio) 27. The Palace Garden (audio) 28. Aunt Jo's Scrap bag, Louisa May Alcott (audio) 29. The Fairy of the Snows (audio) 30. Jane Austen for Dummies, Joan Klingel Ray 31. Love and Louis XIV, Antonia Fraser 32. Book of Greek Myths, D'Aulaire's (read aloud) 33. The First Sunrise: Australian Aboriginal Myths in Paintings by Ainslie Roberts, written by Charles P. Mountford (read aloud) 34. The Monarch of the Glen, Compton Mackenzie 35. Breakfast at Tiffany's and other short stories, Trueman Capote (Yick) 36. The Dawn of Time: Australian Aboriginal Myths in Paintings by Ainslie Roberts, written by Charles P. Mountford (read aloud) 37. Truckers, Terry Pratchett 38. As You Like It William Shakespeare 39. The Dreamtime: Australian Aboriginal Myths in Paintings by Ainslie Roberts, written by Charles P. Mountford (read aloud) 40. Healing with the Medicine of the Prophet, by Imam Ibn Qayyim Al-Jauziyah 41. Something about Mary: from girl about town to Crown Princess, by Emma Tom 42. The Sturt desert pea book (can't remember the title and author) 43. 'Their Eyes Were Watching God' by Zora Neale Hurston 44. Heroes, Gods and Emperors from Roman Mythology, by Kerry Usher and John Sibbick (read aloud) 45. The Rosie Effect, Graeme Simsion 46. Dragons, Gods & Spirits from Chinese Mythology, Tao Tao Liu Sanders (read aloud) 47. ChristoPaganism, Joyce and River Higgenbotham 48. Taming of the Shrew, William Shakespeare 49. Magic and Meditation with Pagan Rosaries: Pagan Prayer Beads, by John Michael Greer and Claire Vaughn. 50. Herbal Pearls: Traditional Chinese Folk Wisdom, by Steven Foster and Yue Chong-xi (read aloud) 51. Green Deen: What Islam Teaches about Protecting the Planet, Ibrahim Abdul-Matin 52. Islam Dreaming: Indigenous Muslims in Australia, by Peta Stephenson 53. Root Cellaring, Mike and Nancy Bubel 54. The History of the Ancient World, by Susan Wise Bauer How many books did you read and did you meet your own personal goal? I wanted to get to 52, and I did, so I'm happy with that! I wish I'd been able to get all my 5/5's done Most thrilling, oh my goodness, I want to read it again, unputdownable book? Terry Pratchett's witch books. :) Top 5 favorite stories? The Sowers, by Henry Seton Merriman, Terry Pratchett and the Aboriginal legends books Least favourite book? Breakfast at Tiffany's :ack2: New author discovery? New genre discovery? 'Their Eyes Were Watching God' by Zora Neale Hurston. This is not a genre I would have found on my own. Which countries or centuries did you explore? US, Australia, England, South Africa, Russia, Egypt, India, The Discworld :D, France, Greece, Scotland, Italy and China. The span of the Ancient world with SWB's book and all the ancient myths I read aloud, otherwise mostly modern except for a novel set in 19th century Russia and Shakespeare. Share a favourite character, story, quote or cover Granny Weatherwax 4 eva!! ​One book that touched you- made you laugh, cry, sing or dance 'Islam Dreaming' was the most valuable book I read this year, I think. Favourite mini challenges? My Islam 5/5 challenge, because it was the only one I finished! I couldn't even find 5 pagan books I wanted to read! Are you ready to do it all over again? Too right. Do you have any goals to check out different genres or authors, read translated books or stories in another language in 2015? I am going to read more Shakespeare, until I have read it all, no matter how many years it takes me… For my 5/5/5 challenge I'm going to do Dusties, Judaism and Menopause. I could do with some recommendations for the latter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 I am not keen on dark, dreary and depressing books, nor do I seek out things that might make me cry, nothing too poignant or touching, nothing involving young children or animals generally...not a lot left is there :lol: which is why book clubs wouldn't work for me. Beauty is dodgy, too, because beauty is often bound up in sorrow in some way. I can allow that with poetry but not prose. Sometimes prose-poetry but again it's dodgy. This has changed considerably as I've aged and had a family. I loved Anna Karenina, Mme Bovary, the gothics and so forth when I was in my twenties and early thirties. I imagine I'd not find them as appealing now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted December 31, 2014 Author Share Posted December 31, 2014 Didn't have to settle for york's not so great writing. Unearthed Stuart Wood's New York Dead. His books are always entertaining, easy reads. Happy to say A to Z is complete just under the wire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted December 31, 2014 Author Share Posted December 31, 2014 Just after 4pm on New Years Eve and I've finished HoAW! 1. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott (read aloud) 2. Good Wives by Louisa May Alcott (read aloud) 3. The Rosie Project, Graeme Simsion (fun read) 4. Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, Kate Douglas Wiggin (audio) 5. Chronicles of Rebecca, Kate Douglas Wiggin (audio) 6. Beyond Religion: Ethics for a Whole World, Dalai Lama (disappointing) 7. Theatre Shoes, Noel Streatfeld 8. Ballet Shoes, Noel Streatfeld 9. Dancing Shoes, Noel Streatfeld 10. Little Men, Louisa May Alcott (read aloud) 11. Jo's Boys, Louisa May Alcott (read aloud) 12. Treasure Island, (audio) 13. Long Walk to Freedom, Nelson Mandela 14. Islamic Dietary Laws and Practices, Hussaini and Sakr 15. Halal & Haram: The Prohibited & Permitted Foods & Drinks According to the Jewish, Christian & Muslim Scriptures, Muhammad Umar Chand 16. The Sowers, Henry Seton Merriman 17. The Red Fairy Book, Andrew Lang (read aloud) 18. Tales of Ancient Egypt, Roger Lancelyn Green (read aloud) 19. Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, T.S Eliot (read aloud) 20. The Many Conditions of Love, Farahad Zama 21. Maskerade, Terry Pratchett 22. Equal Rites, Terry Pratchett 23. Wyrd Sisters, Terry Pratchett 24. Letters from a Cat (audio) 25. The Sun's Babies (audio) 26. The Wonderful Garden (audio) 27. The Palace Garden (audio) 28. Aunt Jo's Scrap bag, Louisa May Alcott (audio) 29. The Fairy of the Snows (audio) 30. Jane Austen for Dummies, Joan Klingel Ray 31. Love and Louis XIV, Antonia Fraser 32. Book of Greek Myths, D'Aulaire's (read aloud) 33. The First Sunrise: Australian Aboriginal Myths in Paintings by Ainslie Roberts, written by Charles P. Mountford (read aloud) 34. The Monarch of the Glen, Compton Mackenzie 35. Breakfast at Tiffany's and other short stories, Trueman Capote (Yick) 36. The Dawn of Time: Australian Aboriginal Myths in Paintings by Ainslie Roberts, written by Charles P. Mountford (read aloud) 37. Truckers, Terry Pratchett 38. As You Like It William Shakespeare 39. The Dreamtime: Australian Aboriginal Myths in Paintings by Ainslie Roberts, written by Charles P. Mountford (read aloud) 40. Healing with the Medicine of the Prophet, by Imam Ibn Qayyim Al-Jauziyah 41. Something about Mary: from girl about town to Crown Princess, by Emma Tom 42. The Sturt desert pea book (can't remember the title and author) 43. 'Their Eyes Were Watching God' by Zora Neale Hurston 44. Heroes, Gods and Emperors from Roman Mythology, by Kerry Usher and John Sibbick (read aloud) 45. The Rosie Effect, Graeme Simsion 46. Dragons, Gods & Spirits from Chinese Mythology, Tao Tao Liu Sanders (read aloud) 47. ChristoPaganism, Joyce and River Higgenbotham 48. Taming of the Shrew, William Shakespeare 49. Magic and Meditation with Pagan Rosaries: Pagan Prayer Beads, by John Michael Greer and Claire Vaughn. 50. Herbal Pearls: Traditional Chinese Folk Wisdom, by Steven Foster and Yue Chong-xi (read aloud) 51. Green Deen: What Islam Teaches about Protecting the Planet, Ibrahim Abdul-Matin 52. Islam Dreaming: Indigenous Muslims in Australia, by Peta Stephenson 53. Root Cellaring, Mike and Nancy Bubel 54. The History of the Ancient World, by Susan Wise Bauer How many books did you read and did you meet your own personal goal? I wanted to get to 52, and I did, so I'm happy with that! I wish I'd been able to get all my 5/5's done Most thrilling, oh my goodness, I want to read it again, unputdownable book? Terry Pratchett's witch books. :) Top 5 favorite stories? The Sowers, by Henry Seton Merriman, Terry Pratchett and the Aboriginal legends books Least favourite book? Breakfast at Tiffany's :ack2: New author discovery? New genre discovery? 'Their Eyes Were Watching God' by Zora Neale Hurston. This is not a genre I would have found on my own. Which countries or centuries did you explore? US, Australia, England, South Africa, Russia, Egypt, India, The Discworld :D, France, Greece, Scotland, Italy and China. The span of the Ancient world with SWB's book and all the ancient myths I read aloud, otherwise mostly modern except for a novel set in 19th century Russia and Shakespeare. Share a favourite character, story, quote or cover Granny Weatherwax 4 eva!! ​One book that touched you- made you laugh, cry, sing or dance 'Islam Dreaming' was the most valuable book I read this year, I think. Favourite mini challenges? My Islam 5/5 challenge, because it was the only one I finished! I couldn't even find 5 pagan books I wanted to read! Are you ready to do it all over again? Too right. Do you have any goals to check out different genres or authors, read translated books or stories in another language in 2015? I am going to read more Shakespeare, until I have read it all, no matter how many years it takes me… For my 5/5/5 challenge I'm going to do Dusties, Judaism and Menopause. I could do with some recommendations for the latter. Congratulations, Rosie. So happy you made 52! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiegirl Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 I liked Jane's explanation for dark and dreary books. It's not as if I seek them out or that they are the only books I read, I like balance. Life is both happy and hard; my reading reflects this. I find, though, dreary books stay with me longer than the lighter ones. They give me more to think about. I recently read Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng-- a very depressing book but the characterization in that book was intense; I related to every one of those characters. The same with Frog Music by Emma Donoghue. That book was very crass and dark but it has stayed with me even though I read it last spring. I like it when a book give me something to think about. Lighter books, on the whole, do not do this for me; I don't think about/analyze the lighter books. I don't just read dark books but having one come along every once in awhile keeps my reading life interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 As everybody here knows my reading is pretty eclectic if we don't take into account my slight aversion to books published before 1900 and the fact that I read mainly fiction. ;) After reading your responses I realized that I do read depressing books sometimes. My reading tends to be a mirror of my feelings about my life and the world. Right now I need things pretty fluffy. Happy endings are needed right now. I have managed a few series books that were violent in recent months but since they were number 20 or so in the series it was easy to simply look at them as being sort of an update on an old friend's life. Will admit I went running away from the latest Alex Cross book. Lets put it this way the murder of a spouse is pretty low level compared to how that one seemed to start. During one upsetting period in my life I read tons of paranormals. Particularly the Anita Blake series. They were violent but so different from what was happening in my life that they truly gave my mind a break from my fears (I was hospitalized for months when pregnant with ds). At the same time I have to admit the season for super fluffy needs to end for me. Really looking forward to our challenges for 2015. Trying to get myself back to reading mystery books that aren't particularly cozy. Just realized I really haven't answered Nan's question. I don't enjoy books where the misery goes on forever but I do enjoy an exciting story. Bits of sadness along the way are Ok as long as things keep moving. Not a fan of It's a Wonderful Life either. Too sappy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 I am so impressed that some of us managed to finish HotAW. Great job ladies! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 I am not keen on dark, dreary and depressing books, nor do I seek out things that might make me cry, nothing too poignant or touching, nothing involving young children or animals generally...not a lot left is there :lol: which is why book clubs wouldn't work for me. Beauty is dodgy, too, because beauty is often bound up in sorrow in some way. I can allow that with poetry but not prose. Sometimes prose-poetry but again it's dodgy. This has changed considerably as I've aged and had a family. I loved Anna Karenina, Mme Bovary, the gothics and so forth when I was in my twenties and early thirties. I imagine I'd not find them as appealing now. Book clubs. Sigh. I often think that it would be good for me to join one to nudge my reading into new places. But do I really want to go there is the question that I ask myself. I don't have any challenges/outlines for the new year reading-wise, other than I want to finish up a couple of tomes in January and start putting a dent in the dusties. My 2015 thoughts are more focused on sewing/knitting projects at the moment. Immediate projects include making the Gallatin Scarf for a gift, a basic pair of superwash wool socks for The Boy (who is hard on clothing but finds hand knitted socks just keep on ticking), and recycled malt and chicken feed sacks to tote bags. It would be a good idea for me to pull back a bit from the Internet world to focus on reading, hand work, exercise, and life in general. Sending Happy New Year wishes to all! Rosie will greet the new year first here, won't she? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onceuponatime Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 Our PC is back from the shop! Now I can post my list for the year, just in time. Books read 2014: January- The Winter Ghosts- Kate Mosse (France, early 20th century, 14th century) Mrs. DeWinter- Susan Hill (Europe, Britain, based on Rebecca) Snow Falling on Cedars- David Guterson (Washington State, WWII, Japanese immigrants, mystery) Troubling a Star- Madeleine L'Engle (Antarctica, juvenile mystery) The Snow Child- Eowyn Ivey (Alaska,19th century, fairytale retelling) Emily Dickinson is Dead- Jane Langton (Massachusetts, Homer Kelly ) Winter Study- Nevada Barr (US/Canadian border island, suspense, least favorite) The History of the Kings of Britain- Geoffrey of Monmouth (written in 12th Century, Britain, Europe, dusty book) Russian Winter- Daphne Kalotay (mid 20th century, Russia, Massachusetts) Winter Pony- Iain Lawrence (Antarctica, juvenile historical fiction) February- The Rosewood Casket- Sharon McCrumb (North Carolina, Appalachian family mystery) A Single Shard-Linda Sue Park (Korea, 12th century, juvenile historical fiction, Newberry Award) The Dante Game- Jane Langton (Italy, mystery, Homer Kelly) Life After Life- Kate Atkinson (England, Germany, Early 2oth century, WWII) The Inferno- Dante (13th century, Hell) The Thief of Venice - Jane Langton(Italy, Homer Kelly, Art treasure) The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag- Bradley (England, mystery, Flavia) March- Practical Magic -Alice Hoffman (US, witches) The Angel's Game- Carlos Ruiz Zafon (Spain, early 20th century, books about books, reread) Miss Seeton Draws the Line- Heron Carvic (British cozy mystery) A Natural History of Dragons- (Fantasy, dragons) Water Tales- Alice Hoffman- (US, mermaids) Chocolat- Joan Harris (France, chocolate, witches) Payment Deferred- C.S. Forester (England, suspense, blah) Cinnamon and Gunpowder-(Pirates, chefs, 19th century) A Year in Provence- Peter Mayle (France, Humor, Food, non-fiction) Incident at Badamya-Dorothy Gilman (Burma, intrigue) Looking at Philosophy: The Unbearable Heaviness of Philosophy Made Lighter- David Palmer (non-fiction) April- A Pilgrim at Tinker Creek- Annie Dillard (US, Virginia, nature, non-fiction) Aunt Dimity Vampire Hunter- Nancy Atherton (England, cozy mystery) The Camelot Caper- Elizabeth Peters (England, mystery) Maisie Dobbs- Winspear (England, mystery, WWI)* Thou Art That- Joseph Campbell ( non-fiction, religious metaphor)* King of Shadows- Susan Cooper (England, juvenile historical fiction, Globe Theater, 16th century) The Secret Keeper- Kate Morton (England, mystery) Sold to Miss Seeton- (England, cozy mystery) A Red Herring Without Mustard- Alan Bradley (England, Flavia, mystery) The Cherry Orchard and The Three Sisters- Anton Chekov (Russia, plays) The Believing Brain- Michael Shermer (non-fiction) May- Boneshaker- Cherie Priest (US, Seattle, Civil War era, steampunk) Kaleidoscope- Dorothy Gilman (US, New York state, mystery, psychics) A Legend in Green Velvet- Elizabeth Peters (Scotland, mystery) Murder at the National Gallery- Margaret Truman (US, Washington DC, art theft, mystery) The Art of Happiness- Dalai Lama (non-fiction) The Immaculate Deception- Iain Pears (Mystery, art theft, Italy) Uncertain Journey- Dorothy Gilman (Intrigue, Europe) Girl in Hyacinth Blue- Susan Vreeland (Netherlands, historical fiction, Vermeer, 17th century) Girl Reading- Katie Ward (Art, historical fiction, Europe) Night Train to Memphis - Elizabeth Peters (Mystery, Egypt) Sundays at Tiffany's- James Patterson (Angels, romance, US) June- The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents - Terry Pratchett (Fantasy, Pied Piper alternate story) Neverwhere- Neil Gaiman (Fantasy, London) Caravan- Dorothy Gilman (Adventure, Early 20th century, African desert) Birds of a Feather- Jaqueline Winspear (Maisie Dobbs mystery, England) Dodger- Terry Pratchett (Victorian England, alternate history, YA) The Missing Marquess- Jane Springer (Victorian England, Sherlock Holmes Sister, juvenile mystery) The Little Book- Seldon Edwards (Vienna 1897, US-Boston, time travel) Garden Spells- Sarah Addison Allen (US, magic, romance) July- I am Half Sick of Shadows- Alan Bradley (England, Flavia, mystery) The Faith Club- (non-fiction, interfaith dialogue) The Martian- Andy Weir (Mars, survival) Drop-Dead Healthy- A. J. Jacobs ( non-fiction, humor, health) Paris in the Twentieth Century- Jules Verne (Paris, dystopian) A Year on Ladybug Farm- Donna Ball (Virginia mountains, fixer-upper) The Evolution of God- Robert Wright (non-fiction, history of religion) Books Can Be Deceiving- (Connecticut, librarian, mystery) The City of Ember (juvenile dystopian) August- The Rosie Project (Australia, romantic comedy) The Sugar Queen- Allen (US, Romance, magical) The Journal of Professor Abraham Van Helsing- Allen Kupfer (Europe, vampires) Like Water for Chocolate- (Mexico, romance, magical) The Carpet People- Pratchett (YA, Fantasy) Speaking From Among the Bones- Bradley (England, mystery, Flavia) Time Cat- Lloyd Alexander (juvenile fiction, time travel) Letter to a Christian Nation- Sam Harris (non-fiction, atheism) September- A Guide For the Perplexed- Dara Horn (US, Middle East, Historical fiction, suspense, computers) The Archived- Victoria Scwan (YA, Fantasy) Jesus Interrupted- Bart Ehrman (non-fiction, historical criticism) Half Magic- Edward Eager (Juvenile, magical) Pardonable Lies- Winspear (Maisie Dobbs mystery, England) The Girl Who Chased The Moon- Allen (US, romance, magical fiction) Breaking the Spell - Denett (non-fiction, philosophy, religion) October- The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches- Bradley (England, Flavia, mystery) Deathless- Valente (Russia, 2oth century, fairy tale retelling) Green Tea and Other Ghost Stories- Le Fanu (Victorian Ghost stories) The Girl With No Shadow- Harris (Paris, Magic) Turn of the Screw- James (England, ghost story) Coraline- Gaiman (England, spooky, juvenile) The Wandering Gene and the Indian Princess -Wheelwright ( Non-fiction, breast cancer gene) November- David and the Phoenix- Ormendroyd (Juvenile, US) The Clockwork Scarab- (juvenile, steampunk, Holmes and Stoker's nieces, England) The 50 Greatest Mysteries of All Time (mysteries, short stories) The Man in the Empty Suit- Sean Ferrell (Time Travel, United States) December- Homocide in Hardcover- Kate Carlisle(Mystery, England) The Remains of the Day-Kazuo Ishiguro (England) The Accidental Universe- Alan Lightman (non-fiction, cosmology, physics) A Silhouette in Scarlet- Elizabeth Peters (England, Vickie Bliss, mystery/adventure) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uff Da! Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 Uff da - Farenheit or centigrade? Jenn - Is that a pen name? Chevalier writing something called The Lady and the Unicorn? : ) Nan Fahrenheit. It's still warm enough that I would be ok cross country skiing or shoveling snow but, with the kids, going out doesn't work so well. Just waking up to the 31st here, drinking coffee by the fire and doing my morning reading. Happy new year y'all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 Rosie, congrats on 52!!! Jane, that was rather naughty of you posting such a lovely scarf pattern like that on a book thread where some of us feel safe knowing we won't be tempted by yarn love and its various iterations. Never mind that I did the same thing upthread ;) Seriously though I shall be having a go at that pattern, how could I not with its variegated loveliness and level of ease? We have a fantastically wonderful yarn store in town which means a visit is in order....wheeeeeeee. Along with my BaW goals I now have three concrete knitting goals, too. The Zentangles book I linked yesterday arrived and I'm keen to jump in. I shall post some of my attempts if it seems like a worthwhile pastime. OUAT, I love the way you organized and categorized your list. I shall be perusing it for suggestions. Not that I need any or anything ;) Robin, I like your idea of 3/5/15 and its variations according to the year. Not sure I'm ready to commit to 15 proscribed books yet though I may change my mind as the year unfolds. Three books is far easier than five to sustain in one subject. I shall echo Mumto2 with the impressiveness of finishing HotAW. I fell behind early on in the game and never refound my footing with it. I hope to do better this year. Finally, the Man-Booker prize-winning book, The Luminaries, is available on kindle for 2.99 today. Stacia, the cover art is lovely ;) Be aware though BaWers, the book is 800 pages long. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nan in Mass Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 Jane - Clan member said she did like that the movie said that we all matter, but mostly, she said, she liked a good cry. Which is unfathomable to me. : ) Violet Crown - Ah. When I am reading, I usually AM the main character, living that character's life. I sometimes read in a more remote way, but I can't do it on purpose, so I am careful what I read. If I could just enjoy the good writing and not be stuck experiencing it, I might be more interested in some of the more depressing books. That makes sense. MicheleinMI - Why would you want to cry? What makes you need to? Can't you just cry if something makes you want to cry? I'm not trying to be argumentative. For the first time in my life I actually have access to people who are able to provide the answer to something that has been puzzling me since high school. : ) Your wish to avoid mistakes (reading to learn) makes sense. I have avoided many mistakes by reading about somebody else making them. And the wish to feel that it could be worse, I can understand. I think this is why I love Hitchhiker's Guide to the Universe lol. Onceuponatime - Transfering strong emotions I understand and even do. I just do it via music rather than words. Making music is one of the only ways I have of getting rid of nebulous bad emotions. Reading doesn't do this for me other than simply providing me with an escape until the emotions wear off. I've always thought that probably the reason most teenagers live under headphones is that they are able to do this by listening to music. If they are angry, they listen to angry music, and it diffuses it somehow. It works better for me if I am doing the making rather than the listening. If I am too deeply moved, I can't do either or I get completely swamped. It works well for the more nebulous sadness about the state of the world, though. If I am in pain, either physical or emotional, I lose patience with the anyone who wallows in emotions or makes stupid choices. I think this is why I enjoy Sense and Sensibilty so much. The older I get, the more pain accumulates and the less patience I have. : ) Rosie - I loved reading your list. So many favourites... Posting this and coming back, since sometimes things disappear and this is getting long. Nan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawneinfl Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 I was thankful for every moment to finish but I did it! I finally achieved 52 books in 52 weeks! :hurray: :hurray: :hurray: It probably had a lot to do with the fact that I stepped down this year from directing at CC. My goal for 2015 will be 52 pounds gone while I listen to 52 audiobooks on the treadmill. :laugh: Thanks again everyone in this group. You are all a ray of sunshine in my life. My eclectic list is filled with titles from other BAW'ers since you all are my go to for finding new books. I didn't do any challenges and if I did have a theme, it was probably WW2. I think about 20% of my books were about that topic. New Authors: I gave Neil Gaiman a shot but found out I'm not a fan. I'm not much of a fantasy reader anyway. I also read The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt which started out well but then just seemed to never end. I did thoroughly enjoy participating in the BAW Secret Santa - both in the giving and receiving (thanks Stacia, your gift was creative and awesome and will show up on my 2015 list). My top 5 reads for the year were: City of Thieves by David Benioff, The Radiance of Tomorrow by Ishmael Beah, In the Kingdom of Ice by Hampton Sides, We are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler, and Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein. I also thoroughly enjoyed the audiobook versions of The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd and Call The Midwife by Jennifer Worth. My least favorite would probably be Dad is Fat by Jim Gaffigan because stand up comedy just doesn't translate well to book form. Anyway, here's the list: 1. Masterminds and Wingmen by Rosalind Wiseman (non-fiction, 4 stars) 2. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett (juvenile fiction, audio book, 4 stars) 3. The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt (fiction, 4 stars) 4. A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck (juvenile fiction for Mother/Daughter book club, 4 stars) 5. Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo (narrative non-fiction, 5 stars) 6. Homer's Odyssey by Gwen Cooper (non-fiction, 4 stars) 7. The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd (fiction, audio book, 5 stars) 8. Gone Away Lake by Elisabeth Enright (juvenile fiction, 4 stars) 9. A Gathering of Days by Joan Blos (juvenile fiction, 4 stars) 10. Crispin by Avi (juvenile fiction, 4 stars) 11. Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein (fiction, 5 stars) 12. Worst Ideas Ever by Daniel Kline (non-fiction, audio book, 2 stars) 13. Brain on Fire by Susannah Cahalan (memoir, audio book, 4 stars) 14. Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein (fiction, 5 stars) 15. Raising Stony Mayhall by Daryl Gregory (zombie lit, 3 stars) 16. Hidden by Catherine Mackenzie (fiction, 3 stars) 17. Game of Thrones: A Song of Ice and Fire by George RR Martin (fiction, 4 stars) 18. Moving Day by Jonathan Stone (fiction, 4 stars) 19. The Martian by Andy Weir (fiction, 4 stars) 20. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley (fiction 4 stars) 21. The Radiance of Tomorrow by Ishmael Beah (fiction, 5 stars) 22. Call the Midwife: A Memoir of Birth, Joy and Hard Times by Jennifer Worth (memoir, audio book, 5 stars) 23, The Leftovers by Tom Perotta (fiction, audio book, 3 stars) 24. Making Habits, Breaking Habits by Jeremy Dean (non fiction, audio book, 3 stars) 25, Lexicon by Max Barry (fiction, 4 stars) 26, Escape from Camp 14 by Blaine Harden (memoir, 4 stars) 27, City of Thieves by David Benioff (fiction, 5 stars) 28. My Mother Was Nuts by Penny Marshall (memoir, audio book, 3 stars) 29. Walden on Wheels by Ken Ilgunas (memoir, 4 stars) 30. All Fall Down by Jennifer Weiner (fiction, 3 stars) 31. Son of Hamas by Mosab Hassan Yousef (memoir, audio book, 3 stars) 32. All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque (classic, 4 stars) 33. Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer (non fiction, audio book, 4 stars) 34. The Bear by Claire Cameron (fiction, 3 stars) 35. Bad Monkeys by Matt Ruff (fiction, 4 stars) 36. We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler (fiction, 5 stars) 37. A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute (fiction, 4 stars) 38. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson (fiction, 4 stars) 39. Gemini by Carol Cassella (fiction, 4 stars) 40. The Glassblowers by Petra Durst-Benning (fiction, 4 stars) 41. Gray Mountain by John Grisham (fiction, 3 stars) 42. The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman (fiction, 3 stars) 43. The Silent Sister by Diane Chamberlain (fiction, 4 stars) 44. Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng (fiction, 3 stars) 45. In the Kingdom of Ice: The Grand and Terrible Polar Voyage of the USS Jeanette by Hampton Sides (non fiction, 5 stars) 46. The Boys In the Boat by Daniel James Brown (non fiction, 4 stars) 47. The Siege by Helen Dunmore (fiction, 4 stars) 48. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (juvenile fiction, 4 stars) 49. Wave by Sonali Deraniyagala (memoir, 3 stars) 50. Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas (non fiction, 4 stars) 51. The Adversary: A True Story of Monstrous Deception (non fiction, 4 stars) 52. Dad is Fat by Jim Gaffigan (comedy, audio book, 3 stars) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Robyn Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 Ok, I appreciate all the time it took to write that out, Nan. Thank you. The bolded reminds me of my trajectory with 'Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain'. Do you remember when that book came out in the 80s and it seemed to be everywhere? I eventually plunged in and found it be quite perception-altering. All of a sudden I could look at an object and actually see it for what it was, not what my brain codified it. I saw it as a grouping of light and shadow, space and density. From that point on I was able to draw a reasonable facsimile of what I was looking at. What fascinated me even more was watching my mind move back and forth between experiencing the codified object and the actual light-shadow-dense-space object. This is something that has been on my mind lately. I have been trying to decide whether or not to buy the Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain Workbook and go through it in 2015. Questions that have kept me from hitting the "buy" button so far: Will I really make time for it? What else will I have to buy once I have the workbook? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 Middle one is back so I finally got a chance to see his zentangles book. It is called Pattern Play: A Zentangle Creativity Booster. I gave it a 5 minute skim-read and from what I saw, I really liked the book. I can see why middle one is carrying it around in his backpack. Lots of patterns to play with. A good amount of you-can-do-it rhetoric, which might either be annoying or encouraging, depending on where you are at. Enough information about how to focus and turn this into a meditation. I always think this sort of thing is sort of like the drumming/chanting/walking meditation that I do sometimes in that it becomes immediately obvious when your concentration slips. I find the immediate negative feedback helpful. I can draw a fairly nice circle or straight line if I breath carefully and focus on what I am doing. This is a much more interesting way of doing that sort of focusing. And it is pretty. And it satisfies my maker personality. Making things cheers me up. I remember Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain well. It was the textbook in my drawing class. At the time, I didn't realize that I already knew how to do what it was explaining and I felt about it exactly the way I felt about cuisinaire rods in math or every-good-boy-does-fine in music - very confused because I was looking for something else beyond what it said. It didn't occur to me that other people might not know it. A book that I like better is the continuation of DotRSB. I had the opposite problem with that book because I met it much more recently when I had much more self confidence. I thought it was telling me what I already knew at first and found it frustrating, but when I picked it up a second time, I realized that she was trying to discover something different, something I do but with much less control. She was after the aha moment in creativity and how it connects to the rest of the creative process. The process she describes is something I had already discovered (and even written a poem about) but she talks about controling it better, which is useful. And some other interesting things. Kitty is on my lap so I can't go find the title for you. It feels weird when you switch, doesn't it? I am wondering if there is another, deeper switch that the zen seeing book is trying to describe that I don't know about yet. I know what you mean about wanting to spend less time on the computer and more time doing things. I've been trying to do that this year, too. I used to do so many real things. Then I got caught up in homeschooling and the internet and email and spent all my time typing instead of making and mending. Not nearly as satisfactory but somehow easier to actually sit down and do, for some reason. Nan Love the bolded. The simplicity of drawing a circle is something I've never thought much about but it's true isn't, when one draws a perfect circle, preferably in black ink on white paper but really in any variation. That must go back a loooong way evolutionarily, musn't it? The shape of the sun and moon and the ability to mirror it. You are an artist, yes? Your deeper switch/zen seeing question makes me think of a sufi story...each night a man would call out to God in anguish and longing praying from his heart for God's presence. He spent night after night like this. Finally he came to a point where he began to doubt and asked God, where are you, why are you not answering me? Came the response, Can you not feel me in the very depth of your longing, I am your very anguish and yearning for my presence. I've kind of butchered it but here is the original story as a poem by Rumi, translation by the inimitable Coleman Barks.... One night a man was crying, “Allah, Allah!†His lips grew sweet with the praising, until a cynic said, “So! I have heard you calling out, but have you ever gotten any response?†The man had no answer for that. He quit praying and fell into a confused sleep. He dreamed he saw Khidr, the guide of souls, in a thick, green foliage, “Why did you stop praising?†“Because I’ve never heard anything back.†“This longing you express is the return message.†The grief you cry out from draws you toward union. Your pure sadness that wants help is the secret cup. Listen to the moan of a dog for its master. That whining is the connection. There are love dogs no one knows the names of. Give your life to be one of them. Anyway I think the zen switching you refer to is something like that, closer than our own eyes. Does that make any sense? Cause it makes sense to me :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nan in Mass Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 The lake froze this morning! If the wind doesn't pick up, maybe it will stay frozen. I need it to freeze hard enough that I can let dog loose again. She needs to be tied when the ice is thin or spotty. *I* need her tied. I rescued her once and she hasn't gone out on the ice since so she probably doesn't needt to be, but I'll never that horror. Uff Da - Here's to fires! I'm in front of mine, too. Onceuponatime - I loved reading your list, too. Hmm... I guess that is a good reason to keep a list - so others can enjoy it. : ) Prairiegirl - That is an interesting thought - that the dark ones stick with you longer than the light ones. I'm trying to decide whether this is true for me. mumto2 - So it seems that some people read light books when their lives are dark, and can only add dark books when their lives are light, while it comforts other people to read dark books when their lives are dark? Shukriyya - I'm much more sensitive now than I used to be, also. Definitely can't do animals. No way. My sisters hand me books saying, "Don't worry. Dog comes back." Or whatever. I avoid sad love stories, or small children, either. What do you mean by beauty? I keep wondering why I can tolerate Patricia McKillip. Those are violent and grim, sometimes extremely so, especially at the beginning. Her bad characters are evil and to show that, she has them do all sorts of awful things. I think maybe the tragectory had a lot to do with it. They move from dark to light, all of them. You think the messes and dilemas she has created can't possibly be straightened out, and then in the end she does. There is only one that ends with a somewhat unresolved bit, that I can think of. One of my favourite begins with an absolutely horrendous scene involving both dogs and small children. I don't think you want to read it - Song for the Basalisk. I don't think I could read it if I had to do it afresh right now. And yet, it is so full of music and light, and I love the ending. Very mysterious. Thank you, for trying to answer my question, everyone. I understand much better now, both why some people can tolerate some books (an earlier question) and why some people enjoy some books (my current one). Food for thought. I love seeing everyone's lists! Especially the ones with some notes attached. Congratulations! Happy New Year, everyone! Happy reading! Nan PS - I LOVE bluefish. Word spreads fast in my clan when the bluefish are in, both to keep anyone from trying to swim with them and so we can eat them. Yum Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 This is something that has been on my mind lately. I have been trying to decide whether or not to buy the Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain Workbook and go through it in 2015. Questions that have kept me from hitting the "buy" button so far: Will I really make time for it? What else will I have to buy once I have the workbook? I really enjoyed it and felt quite ambivalent about buying it up to that point. I had, in fact, recently thought of working through it again and if I hadn't just bought the Zentangles book might suggest a joint venture with you. The Zentangles book is a 6 week course so it's not that long. If you're willing to wait perhaps after that? Otherwise I say go for it! :driving: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 The lake froze this morning! If the wind doesn't pick up, maybe it will stay frozen. I need it to freeze hard enough that I can let dog loose again. She needs to be tied when the ice is thin or spotty. *I* need her tied. I rescued her once and she hasn't gone out on the ice since so she probably doesn't needt to be, but I'll never that horror. Frozen lakes remind of my childhood and skating the six long miles to school on the canal that ran through our city. Temps were often in the minus 20s and 30s, boots would be frozen by the time I arrived at the other end of the canal for the short walk to school and clomping up the steps and along the path in frozen boots is not something one soon forgets :D Shukriyya - I'm much more sensitive now than I used to be, also. Definitely can't do animals. No way. My sisters hand me books saying, "Don't worry. Dog comes back." Or whatever. I avoid sad love stories, or small children, either. What do you mean by beauty? Oh gosh. I don't think I can answer that, it's more a question to live a life from, don't you think? I keep wondering why I can tolerate Patricia McKillip. Those are violent and grim, sometimes extremely so, especially at the beginning. Her bad characters are evil and to show that, she has them do all sorts of awful things. I think maybe the tragectory had a lot to do with it. They move from dark to light, all of them. You think the messes and dilemas she has created can't possibly be straightened out, and then in the end she does. There is only one that ends with a somewhat unresolved bit, that I can think of. One of my favourite begins with an absolutely horrendous scene involving both dogs and small children. I don't think you want to read it - Song for the Basalisk. I don't think I could read it if I had to do it afresh right now. And yet, it is so full of music and light, and I love the ending. Very mysterious. Thanks to an earlier discussion with you I've got several Patricia McKillip books on hold at the library beginning with Solstice Wood and Winter Rose. Very excited to read these with more coming. I shall keep your thoughts on Song for the Basilisk in mind. It wasn't one of hers that grabbed me so perhaps that's a good thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nan in Mass Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 Shukriyya - WHAT a way to begin the new year! I haven't heard this story or had that thought. Or if I have, I didn't hear it. It makes perfect sense. It will take me awhile to settle this in amongst my other beliefs. It is a rather big piece to the puzzle, although I think of my beliefs more like a pile of boulders on the shore - every once in awhile, a storm comes along and rearranges them. This one is akin to the boulder that says that the people among us who do the worst things are the best people because they chose to suffer being reborn as those people so the rest of us could have the opportunity to become better people. Not well phrased, but hopefully the meaning is clear. I had been trying not to be judgemental and I was raised to believe that somewhere in everyone is the good person, but this idea made the last two much easier to act on. Your idea is like that - my mother has been saying the mountains wouldn't be so high if the valleys weren't so low as long as I can remember, but your idea somehow makes that boulder fit in with the others. If that makes any sense. Which it might not. : ) Thank you seems a rather inadequate response... Nan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Robyn Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 This morning I finished The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, which makes my total for 2014 111 books. Hitchhiker's was fun, offbeat, imaginative, and I wouldn't mind reading the next book in the series sometime when I need another break. My final list: It looks like I only read 24 books by women this year and some of those were series (the Divergent trilogy and the last four Harry Potter books). Hmmm... not so good. *dusty chunky 111. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Douglas Adams 110. Anna Karenina Leo Tolstoy* 109. What Narcissim Means to Me Tony Hoagland 108. If the Tabloids Are True What Are You? Matthea Harvey 107. Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair Pablo Neruda 106. Journey to the Center of the Earth Jules Verne 105. Selected Poems Gwendolyn Brooks 104. Blessing the Boats Lucille Clifton 103. Mrs. Dalloway Virginia Woolf 102. Moscow in the Plague Year Marina Tsvetaeva 101. The Reptile Room Lemony Snicket 100. On Writing Stephen King 99. The 2014 Rhysling Anthology various authors 98. The Bad Beginning Lemony Snicket 97. Farewell, My Lovely Raymond Chandler 96. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer Mark Twain* 95. Through the Woods Emily Carroll 94. Telephone Ringing in the Labyrinth Adrienne Rich 93. The Turn of the Screw Henry James 92. Interview with the Vampire Anne Rice 91.The Trouble With Poetry and Other Poems Billy Collins 90. Behind My Eyes Li-Young Lee 89. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows J. K. Rowling 88. At the Mouth of the River of Bees Kij Johnson 87. Winter Numbers Marilyn Hacker 86. Ordinary Genius Kim Addonizio 85. Writers Writing Dying C. K. Williams 84. The Honey Month Amal El-Mohtar 83. The Poem's Heartbeat: A Manual of Prosody Alfred Corn 82. Grave Peril Jim Butcher 81. Ready Player One Ernest Cline 80. Complete Poems Stephen Crane 79. The Illustrated Man Ray Bradbury 78. Lunch Poems Frank O'hara 77. Watchmen Alan Moore 76. Fool Moon Jim Butcher 75. Holy Bible various authors* 74. Oliver Twist Charles Dickens 73. Altazor Vincente Huidobro 72. Storm Front Jim Butcher 71. The Kreutzer Sonata Leo Tolstoy 70. Much Ado About Nothing William Shakespeare 69. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Ken Kesey* 68. The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald 67. The White Tiger Aravind Adiga 66. Utopia Thomas More* 65. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian Sherman Alexie 64. The Body Artist Don Delillo 63. The Sense of an Ending Julian Barnes 62. And Then There Were None Agatha Christie 61. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince J. K. Rowling 60. Steppenwolf Herman Hesse 59. The Merchant of Venice William Shakespeare 58. Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen 57. Keeping a Nature Journal Clare Walker Leslie* 56. Miss Lonelyhearts & The Day of the Locust Nathanael West 55. The Outsiders S. E. Hinton 54. The Film Club David Gilmour* 53. Life of Pi Yann Martel 52. Julius Caesar William Shakespeare 51. The Read-Aloud Handbook Jim Trelease* 50. Eight Skilled Gentlemen Barry Hughart* 49. The Road Not Taken and Other Poems Robert Frost 48. How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare Ken Ludwig 47. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix J. K. Rowling 46, News of the World Philip Levine 45. Allegiant Veronica Roth 44. The Book of Nightmares Galway Kinnell 43. The Once and Future King T. H. White 42. The Tempest William Shakespeare 41. Buddha, Vol. 8: Jetavana Osamu Tezuka 40. Buddha, Vol. 7: Prince Ajatasattu Osamu Tezuka 39. Insurgent Veronica Roth 38. Buddha, Vol. 6: Ananda Osamu Tezuka 37. Buddha, Vol. 5: Deer Park Osamu Tezuka 36. Buddha, Vol. 4: The Forest of Uruvela Osamu Tezuka 35. The Devil in the White City Erik Larson 34. The Making of a Poem Mark Strand and Eavan Boland* 33. The Romance of Tristan Beroul 32. Buddha, Vol. 3: Devadatta Osamu Tezuka 31. Divergent Veronica Roth 30. Perceval: The Story of the Grail Chretien de Troyes 29. Buddha, Vol. 2: The Four Encounters Osamu Tezuka 28. Animal Farm George Orwell 27. Buddha, Vol. 1: Kapilavastu Osamu Tezuka 26. The Death of King Arthur Unknown 25. The Beast of Chicago Rick Geary 24. To the Lighthouse Virginia Woolf 23. Cliges Chretien de Troyes 22. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire J. K. Rowling 21. Civilization and Its Discontents Sigmund Freud 20. Twelfth Night William Shakespeare 19. The Genealogy of Morals Friedrich Nietzsche 18. Paris Spleen Charles Baudelaire 17. Casino Royale Ian Flemming 16. Watership Down Richard Adams 15. The Murder of Abraham Lincoln Rick Geary 14. Madame Bovary Gustave Flaubert 13. Erec and Enide Chretien de Troyes 12. The Communist Manifesto Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels 11. Inferno Dante Alighieri 10. Cloud Atlas David Mitchell 9. Discourse on the Origin of Inequality Jean-Jacques Rousseau 8. King Lear William Shakespeare 7. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban J. K. Rowling 6. Lancelot: The Knight of the Cart Chretien de Troyes 5. Education of a Wandering Man Louis L'Amour 4. Yvain: The Knight of the Lion Chretien de Troyes 3. The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle Haruki Murakami 2. The Taming of the Shrew William Shakespeare 1. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest Stieg Larsson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 I was thankful for every moment to finish but I did it! I finally achieved 52 books in 52 weeks! Congratulations, Shawne :party: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nan in Mass Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 Shukriyya - I can't remember Winter Rose and am wondering if it was one I didn't care for? Solstice Wood is a bit different (some of her books are) and I don't think it was particularly upsetting. I tried to reread it recently and couldn't, because of my own life at the moment, so I can't tell you much more than that. The Riddlemaster of Hed series is pure Patricia McKillip and not as violent or intense as some of her others. Song for the Basalisk is her worst novel. Some of her short stories are worse. Many of her novels feature evil rulers. They are fairy tales. Many are saturated with music. Some have theatre or art in them. Some have books. One has a writer as the main character. One takes place in a library. They all have bits of nature in them that take my breath away. Same with the bits about love, all types of love. Close family relationships, both good and bad, are present in most of them. I can't wait until I've waited long enough that I can reread them again lol. For me, they are intense, though, and you might want to procede with caution. Nan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nan in Mass Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 crstarlette - Where do you find the Buddha books? My brother-in-law gave my children the first three awhile back and they were too expensive for me to buy them the rest of the series. I should check the library again. Maybe they are more popular now and have appeared there. Did you like the series? I am so enjoying reading everyones lists! Nan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 Shawne -- Congratulations on 52! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennW in SoCal Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 In front of the fire this morning, too. The snow levels in the county last night dropped below 2000' -- the lowest in the almost 30 years I've lived here. We're at 800' so no snow for us, but my facebook newsfeed is filled with gleeful updates and photos of backyards with a nice dusting of the white stuff. I too endeavor to get back to reading more, quilting and crocheting more, practicing and exercising and to waste less time on the interwebs. Just not this morning... Love all the book lists, love how eclectic all our reading habits are, and know I'll be coming back to this week's thread for ideas and inspiration. Here's mine, grouped by genre: Mystery/Thrillers W is for Wasted by Sue Grafton Kingdom of Shadows by Alan Furst Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear Second Watch JA Jance The Rafael Affair by Iain Pears Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley The Bookman’s Tale by Charlie Lovett The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith (aka JK Rowling) Voice of the Violin by Andrea Camilleri (Inspector Montalbano) Diamond Solitaire by Peter Lovesy The Summons by Peter Lovesy Bloodhounds by Peter Lovesy Upon a Dark Night by Peter Lovesy Watching the Dark by Peter Robinson Children of the Revolution by Peter Robinson Gaudy Night by Dorothy Sayers Unnatural Death by Dorothy Sayers A Rule Against Murder by Louise Penny The Brutal Telling by Louise Penny How the Light Gets In by Louise Penny The Beautiful Mystery by Louise Penny Literature: Master and Commander series by Patrick O’Brian The Fortune of War Surgeon’s Mate The Ionian Mission Treason’s Harbor Far Side of the World The Reverse of the Medal The Letter of Marque Other Literature Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott Strange Bodies by Marcel Theroux The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion And Only to Deceive by Tashia Alexander People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith Dear Committee Members by Julie Schumacher A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute Cinnamon and Gunpowder by Eli brown Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen Stormy Petrel by Mary Stewart Tigerman by Nick Harkaway Sci-fi/fantasy Darwin Elevator by Jason Hough The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle Mr. Penumbra’s 24 Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan Raising Steam by Terry Pratchett The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern Farthing by Jo Walton The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson The Martian by Andy Weir Ha’penny by Jo Walton Half a Crown by Jo Walton Storm Front (Dresden Files bk 1) by Jim Butcher Small Gods by Terry Pratchett The Iron Wyrm Affair by Lilith Saintcrow The Thousand Names by Django Wexler Lock In by John Scalzi Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman Fool Moon (Dresden Files bk 2) by Jim Butcher Non-fiction The Hare with the Amber Eyes by Edmund de Wall Ballerina by Deidre Kelly Reading Dante: From Here to Eternity by Pru Shaw In the Wings: Behind the Scenes at the New York City Ballet by Kyle Froman Musicophilia: Tales of music and the Brain by Oliver Sacks Krakatoa: The Day the Earth Blew Up by Simon Winchester But He Doesn’t Know the Territory by Meredith Willson What Makes This Book So Good by Jo Walton Walden on Wheels by Ken Ilgunas The Hawaiian Quilt: A Unique American Art Form by Linda Boynton Arthur Not worth counting, but I did read... (abridgements and unfinished) [Comedia by Dante (Purgatory) unfinished] Mill on the Floss by George Eliot (uber abridged!!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nan in Mass Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 So, our collective new year resolution is not to talk to each other so much grin? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 So, our collective new year resolution is not to talk to each other so much grin? :lol: I think for me it may be more of a case of not reading the controversies over on the main board. I really normally do not need to know! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 Before I forget..... Happy Hogmanay!!! http://www.rampantscotland.com/know/blknow12.htm VC -- I thought Wee Girl might enjoy learning about the Scottish New Year. Actually if you have Scottish neighbors a dark haired visitor after midnight might happen anywhere in the UK. No bell ringing tower for me tonight. Still feel too lousy to make it up the staircase. My healthy family is going up and a few friends. Hoping to have enough to give a proper we in their friends honour. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-M- Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 So happy about the silliest thing! In conversation with my youngest, I effusively praised and celebrated the BaW community and Robin. I shared with her that I didn't think I'd hit my goal of 104 by day's end, but no biggie because the best thing about the program is the camaraderie, etc., etc. Then she peruses my list and asks, "Where's All My Sons?" Where, indeed! So I *did* hit my goal. Woot! (Of course, now I wonder what else I forgot to log, but never mind that for now.) â– Still Alice (Lisa Genova; 2009. 292 pages. Fiction.)â– Saga, Volume 4 (Brian K. Vaughan; 2014. 144 pages. Graphic fiction.)â– Charm & Strange (Stephanie Kuehn ; 2013. 224 pages. Fiction.)â– Life After the Death of My Son: What I’m Learning (Dennis L. Apple; 2008. 192 pages. Memoir.)â– The Wake (Scott Snyder; 2014. 256 pages. Graphic fiction.)â– Fatale, Book 3: West of Hell (Ed Brubaker; 2012. 128 pages. Graphic fiction.)â– Fatale, Book 2: The Devil’s Business (Ed Brubaker; 2013. 136 pages. Graphic fiction.)â– The Children’s Hour (Lillian Hellman; 1953. 72 pages. Drama.)â– Citizen: An American Lyric (Claudia Rankine; 2014. 160 pages. Poetry.)â– The Testament of Mary (Colm TóibÃn; 2012. 96 pages. Fiction.)â– Isaac’s Eye (Lucas Hnath; 2014. 113 pages. Drama.)â– The Lost Daughter (Elena Ferrante; 2008. 125 pages. Fiction.)â– The Good Nurse: A True Story of Medicine, Madness, and Murder (Charles Graeber; 2013. 320 pages. Non-fiction.)â– Fatale, Book 1: Death Chases Me (Ed Brubaker; 2012. 144 pages. Graphic fiction.)â– The Long Way Home (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 8, Vol. 1) (Joss Whedon; 2010. 136 pages. Graphic fiction.)â– Lazarus Volume 2 (Greg Rucka; 2014. 104 pages. Graphic fiction.)â– Lazarus Volume 1 (Greg Rucka; 2013. 96 pages. Graphic fiction.)â– The Adversary: A True Story of Monstrous Deception (Emmanuel Carrère; 2002. 191 pages. Non-fiction.)â– Pericles (William Shakespeare (1606?); Folger ed. 2005. 304 pages. Drama.) *â– So Much Pretty (Cara Hoffman; 2011. 320 pages. Fiction.)â– Revival Volume 4: Escape to Wisconsin (Tim Seeley; 2014. 128 pages. Graphic fiction.)â– The Walking Dead Volume 22: A New Beginning (Robert Kirkman; 2014. 135 pages. Graphic fiction.)â– The Walking Dead Volume 21: All Out War Part 2 (Robert Kirkman; 2014. 135 pages. Graphic fiction.)â– Iphigeneia at Aulis (Euripides. (Merwin / Dimock trans.; 1992). 128 pages. Drama.)â– All My Sons (Arthur Miller. (1947 / 2000. 112 pages. Drama.)â– Neurocomic (Hana Ros; 2014. 144 pages. Graphic non-fiction.)â– The Gatekeepers: Inside the Admissions Process of a Premier College (Jacques Steinberg; 2003. 336 pages. Non-fiction.)â– Station Eleven (Emily St. John Mandel; 2014. 352 pages. Fiction.)â– Gabriel: A Poem (Edward Hirsch; 2014. 96 pages. Poetry.)â– My Friend Jeffrey Dahmer (Derf Backderf; 2012. 224 pages. Graphic non-fiction.)â– Adult Literacy Handbook for Students and Tutors (Anita H. Pomerance; 1999. 141 pages. Non-fiction.)â– How We Learn: The Surprising Truth About When, Where, and Why It Happens (Benedict Carey; 2014. 272 pages. Non-fiction.)â– Fangirl (Rainbow Rowell; 2013. 448 pages. Fiction.)â– Don’t Try to Find Me (Holly Brown; 2014. 368 pages. Fiction.)â– Better by Mistake: The Unexpected Benefits of Being Wrong (Alina Tugend; 2011. 304 pages. Non-fiction.)â– Brothers Emanuel: A Memoir of an American Family (Ezekiel Emanuel; 2013. 288 pages. Non-fiction.)â– The Wasp Factory (Iain Banks; 1998. 192 pages. Fiction.)â– Be Safe I Love You (Cara Hoffman; 2014. 304 pages. Fiction.)â– Insurgent (Veronica Roth; 2012. 544 pages. Fiction.)â– The Book of You (Clare Kendal; 2014. 368 pages. Fiction.)â– Bird Box (Josh Malerman; 2014. 272 pages. Fiction.)â– Snowpiercer, Vol. 2: The Explorers (Jacques Lob; Benjamin Legrand (1999 and 2000); 2014. 140 pages. Graphic fiction.)â– LITSTART: Strategies for Adult Learners and ESL Tutors (Patricia Frey; 1999. 246 pages. Non-fiction.)â– The Good Girl (Mary Kubica; 2014. 352 pages. Fiction.)â– Snowpiercer, Vol. 1: The Escape (Jacques Lob (Le Transperceneige, 1999); 2014. 110 pages. Graphic fiction.)â– Eleanor and Park (Rainbow Rowell; 2013. 336 pages. Fiction.)â– Brave New World (Aldous Huxley (1932); 2006 ed. 288 pages. Fiction.) *â– What the Best College Teachers Do (Ken Bain; 2004. 207 pages. Non-fiction.)â– Big Little Lies (Liane Moriarty; 2014. 480 pages. Fiction.)â– Shakespeare: The World as a Stage (Bill Bryson; 2013. 208 pages. Non-fiction.)â– Monument 14 (Emmy Laybourne; 2013. 352 pages. Fiction.)â– Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking (Susan Cain; 2012. 352 pages. Non-fiction.)â– The Three (Sarah Lotz; 2014. 480 pages. Fiction.)â– A Season of Gifts (Richard Peck; 2009. 176 pages. Fiction.)â– Landline (Rainbow Rowell; 2013. 320 pages. Fiction.)â– Predictive Analytics: The Power to Predict Who Will Click, Buy, Lie, or Die (Eric Siegel ; 2013. 320 pages. Non-fiction.)â– Big Data: A Revolution That Will Transform How We Live, Work, and Think (Viktor Mayer-Schönberger and Kenneth Cukier; 2013. 256 pages. Non-fiction.)â– Magritte: The Mystery of the Ordinary, 1926-1938 (The Museum of Modern Art, New York; 2013. 256 pages. Non-fiction.)â– Magritte (Marcel Paquet; 2012. 96 pages. Non-fiction.)â– Kandinsky (Hajo Duchting; 2012. 96 pages. Non-fiction.)â– In the Basement of the Ivory Tower: Confessions of an Accidental Academic (Professor X; 2011. 288 pages. Non-fiction.)â– Antony and Cleopatra (William Shakespeare (1606); Folger ed. 2005. 336 pages. Drama.)â– The Girl with All the Gifts (M.R. Cary; 2014. 416 pages. Fiction.)â– Python for Informatics: Exploring Information (Charles R. Severance; 2013. 244 pages. Non-fiction.)â– The Stranger (Albert Camus (1942); 1989 edition. 123 pages. Fiction.) *â– Jane Eyre (Charlotte Brontë (1847); 2005 B&N edition. 592 pages. Fiction.) *â– The Fever (Meg Abbott; 2014. 320 pages. Fiction.)â– Burial Rites (Hannah Kent; 2013. 336 pages. Fiction.)â– The Other Side of Sadness (George A. Bonanno; 2010. 240 pages. Non-fiction.)â– The Blue Fox (Sjón; 2013. 128 pages. Fiction.)â– The Dance of Death (August Strindberg (Conor McPherson, trans.); 1900 (2012). Drama.)â– We Were Liars (E. Lockhart; 2014. 240 pages. Fiction.)â– The Detainee (Peter Liney; 2014. 352 pages. Fiction.)â– Annihilation (Jeff VanderMeer; 2014. 208 pages. Fiction.)â– All’s Well That Ends Well (William Shakespeare (1604); Folger ed. 2006. 336 pages. Drama.)â– Soft Apocalypse (Will McIntosh; 2011. 239 pages. Fiction.)â– One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich (Alexander Sozhenitsyn; 1962/2009. 208 pages. Fiction.) *â– Masterpiece Comics (R. Sikoryak; 2009. 64 pages. Fiction.)â– Infected (Scott Sigler; 2008. 384 pages. Fiction.)â– Veronica Mars: The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line (Rob Thomas and Jennifer Graham; 2014. 336 pages. Fiction.)â– Running Wild (J.G. Ballard; 1989. 116 pages. Fiction.)â– The How and the Why (Sarah Treem; 2013. Drama.)â– Blood Will Out: The True Story of a Murder, a Mystery, and a Masquerade (Walter Kirn; 2014. 272 pages. Non-fiction.)â– Dope (Sara Gran; 2007. 256 pages. Fiction.)â– People Who Eat Darkness: The True Story of a Young Woman Who Vanished from the Streets of Tokyo (Richard Lloyd Parry; 2012. 464 pages. Non-fiction.)â– The Troop (Nick Cutter; 2014. 368 pages. Fiction.)â– The Mayo Clinic Diet (2012. 254 pages. Non-fiction.)â– This Is Where I Leave You (Jonathan Trooper; 2009. 352 pages. Fiction.)â– Of Mice and Men (John Steinbeck; 1937. 112 pages. Fiction.) *â– Gideon’s Knot (Johanna Adams; DPS new acquisition / unbound. Drama.)â– The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2013 (ed. Siddhartha Mukherjee; 2013. 368 pages. Non-fiction.)â– Lexicon (Max Barry; Folger ed. 2013. 400 pages. Fiction.)â– The Circle (Dave Eggers; 2013. 504 pages. Fiction.)â– The Good Sister (Drusilla Campbell; 2010. 352 pages. Fiction.)â– The Two Gentlemen of Verona (William Shakespeare (1589); Folger ed. 2006. 304 pages. Drama.) *â– Hedda Gabler (Henrik Ibsen; 1890. Drama.) *â– Labor Day (Joyce Maynard; 2009. 256 pages. Fiction.)â– The Living (Matt De La Peña; 2013. 320 pages. Fiction.)â– Henry V (William Shakespeare (1599); Folger ed. 2004. 294 pages. Drama.) *â– Henry IV, Part II (William Shakespeare (1599); Folger ed. 2006. 400 pages. Drama.) *â– Henry IV, Part I (William Shakespeare (1597); Folger ed. 2005. 336 pages. Drama.) *â– The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (L. Frank Baum; 1895 / 2008. 224 pages. Juvenile fiction.)â– Cartwheel (Jennifer duBois; 2013. 384 pages. Fiction.)â– The Wicked Girls (Alex Marwood; 2013. 384 pages. Fiction.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-M- Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 Was it last year that we posted "bookshelfies" (i.e., pics of our books or ourselves with our books)? That was fun. Anyone up for that again? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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